AS THE year 2022 comes to an end, it is one which will never be forgotten by Laura Rafferty.

The Saints defender not only secured a league and cup double to help her hometown club to promotion into the Women’s Championship, but she also featured for her nation at a major tournament.

Qualifying through her father’s heritage, Rafferty was part of the Northern Ireland squad, who against the odds qualified for the European Championship.

And as an extra twist of fate, all three of Northern Ireland’s group matches were staged at St Mary’s Stadium.

Watching on from the bench for the first two fixtures, Rafferty got her big moment in front of a sell-out St Mary’s crowd, starting as eventual tournament winners England came to town.

And although the 26-year-old was on the end of a 5-0 defeat, it took nothing away from a huge moment in her career.

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“I didn’t have much time off over the summer, as you can imagine,” Rafferty told the Daily Echo, discussing her Euros experience.

“But for me it was incredible. It took a little while for me to be able to reflect on that.

“When I was a kid, Southampton was the team I support my whole life. My dream was to always play at St Mary’s, but in a full-packed 32,000 people in that stadium was something that I didn’t even think was possible. So it was an incredible moment.

“When you’re there to play football, you have to kind of escape all that and focus on what is in front of you. So the few weeks that I had off after the Euros were really nice to reflect and enjoy those moments with my family and the memories.

“That was the first time my dad had seen me playing for Northern Ireland. He’s from Belfast, but lives in Southampton, so I was brought up in Southampton.

“That was an incredible moment to see him as well there and I’ve got a massive family all from Northern Ireland. So to know that they were all down in Southampton watching the game as well, it was pretty incredible.

“Football kind of brought us all together and a kind of moment I never thought was really going to happen, but have always dreamed of.

“It just shows that, as cliché as you like, dreams do come true and it certainly did for me.”

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She added: “For me, I didn’t actually expect to even be away at the Euros. So for me being there in the squad I was happy, but obviously as a player you want to be playing.

“I think as the tournament got deeper and deeper, I was itching more and more off my feet, trying to get on the pitch. I just wanted to be a part of it on the pitch as well as off.

“Obviously I didn’t play the first two, but the girls did so well and I was ready if called upon. But to get that opportunity in the last game, it is something that I will always kind of be in debt for, because that was an unbelievable moment for myself and my family as well.

“I’m buzzing that I got the opportunity, but for me I don’t want to stop there. It’s given me the fire in the belly to come back to club and compete with these players.

“Our longer term ambition is the WSL and for me, that just reinstalled everything for me. The winning side of things, the competitive side of things, it gave me a lot.

“And obviously at Southampton we had a fantastic summer with winning the League Cup, the league and getting the promotion. So for me personally going into this year, I had bundles of confidence.”

Off the pitch, Rafferty has a varied support network.

Her brother Tom plays non-league football in the Wessex League, while girlfriend, singer Liv Harland, is a star on TikTok. They also have a recent new arrival to the family in the shape of cocker spaniel puppy Coby.

“He (Coby) came to the first game this season and I scored,” said Rafferty.

“I was buzzing and I thought everyone was buzzing with me for scoring, but actually he got all the attention! But he’s beautiful.

“It’s really probably mad to say, but for me, the biggest thing in why I feel I play well I think is balance. And having Coby when I go home, you kind of leave everything back at football and you go and have the enjoyment of a little puppy.

“I can go ‘I’m back home now’ and by having the little puppy there, it’s nice. It feels like home. So come in, work hard, go home, relax and just stop him biting everything really!”

Discussing her relationship with Liv, Rafferty said: “She is in a solo kind of career if you like, everything is dependable on her.

“I’m in a career where I’ve got a lot of people around me. So they’re very different dynamics.

“But we both have massive ambitions and when things go well, we know how to praise each other and celebrate that. And when things don’t go so well, we also know how to comfort each other when needed.

“I’ve definitely got the best support network around me.

“I know that she’s very happy with having someone that can be very relevant to her. There’s a lot of similarities, a lot of differences between it, but ultimately, for both of us, the balance is really nice.

“I didn’t think she liked football, but now I go home and she’s watching football on YouTube! So she’s trying to learn the game, which is nice.

“I think she’s gained a massive football audience (on TikTok), which is mad. But we’re very happy and we both support each other a lot. It is very comforting to have Liv.”

As for her brother Tom, who plays for Downton, Rafferty said: “He’s my number one fan.

“He’s at every game shouting for me, rooting for me.

“If it’s good, he can celebrate it with me. If it’s not, he’s there for me. So we’ve got a very good relationship, me and my brother.

“We always have growing up. Without him, I know I wouldn’t be as competitive.

“I kind of had no choice as a kid. It was always be competitive or just don’t bother.

“So he definitely helped me get to where I am for sure.”

The Championship is currently on a winter break, with Saints Women due to return to league action against Lewes at St Mary’s on Sunday, January 15.

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